Love’s Falling Star
Synopsis
Lochlan Paige is one of the biggest stars in Nashville. With her gorgeous stage presence and pitch-perfect voice, she’s earned her countless awards and sold out shows. But being famous hasn’t changed the fact that her favorite place to write music is in the quiet confines of libraries. Everything changes the moment she meets college student Vanessa and her fast-paced, very closeted world of country music is turned upside down.
Vanessa Wallace, a serious pre-med student, aspires to becoming a pediatric oncologist. During a late-night session at the campus library, an annoying hum coming from a secluded section leads to an encounter with Lochlan Paige. Little does Vanessa know she is about to take off on a whirlwind adventure that may end in love…or loss.
Love’s Falling Star
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Love’s Falling Star
© 2021 By B.D. Grayson. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-872-2
This Electronic Original Is Published By
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: March 2021
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Cindy Cresap
Production Design: Stacia Seaman
Cover Design by Tammy Seidick
eBook Design by Toni Whitaker
Acknowledgments
To Jaycie Morrison. Thank you for the time you put into helping me during this journey. There aren’t enough words to express my gratitude for your friendship and guidance. I will forever be thankful we met.
To my wife, Tammy. Thank you for your encouragement and always believing in my dream. I will always remember reading to you about Lochlan and Vanessa as you cooked dinner each night. I feel like we did this one together, which makes it even more special. Just like everything else, I wouldn’t be where I am without you.
Chapter One
Lochlan Paige strummed the guitar in her hands just as the spotlight moved from her to scan the sold-out stadium. Her racing heart was full at the roar of the crowd. These moments were what she lived for. The fame was nice, the money was good, but it was these moments that were a high. She had worked for years to get where she was in the country music business. Hearing these people, and the ground-shaking cheers, was like a reward for the blood, sweat, and tears she put into her dream.
The spotlight found her again. “Thank you all for coming out tonight, Raleigh. See y’all next year.” Just before she took a bow, Lochlan wondered if there would ever be a feeling better than these moments. There would never be anything that would take the place of the excitement performing to a crowd this size. This was her life. Her world. Her only love.
When she straightened, she waved and smiled the smile that she knew had her sitting atop every beautiful person list in the entertainment business. Lochlan Paige was the hottest concert ticket in country music and was the second highest paid female artist in all of music, and she sold out stadiums in record time.
It had been nearly seven years since she first stepped on a stage, and tonight, she was saying good-bye to her loyal fans for a few months, as her concert season was ending. After five years of headlining tours, countless talk shows, and guest appearances, the end of the season was both a sad and a welcome break. It was hard to smile when you were exhausted, but she wasn’t afforded the luxury of letting that stop her. She waved as she exited the stage, and immediately, there were hands on her. Stagehands removed her ear monitors and the battery pack from the back of her pants as they told her what an amazing job she had done.
She was followed into the dressing room by only one person, Jamie Holt. Jamie wore a multitude of hats for Lochlan. Jamie was her manager, personal assistant, best friend since childhood, and most importantly, therapist. Jamie had kept her most guarded secret since high school, that Lochlan was gay. And it was Jamie who bore the wrath of Lochlan’s life of hiding on nights Lochlan was at her loneliest.
Jamie texted on her phone. “Okay, we have a handful of meet and greets still left.”
“What? How was that not handled before the show?”
“These are different, Loc. It’s some of the stadium staff.”
“When you say staff, you mean…”
“God, Loc, cut me some slack here. I’m doing my best. They only wanted to meet with you briefly.”
“Who are ‘they’?” Lochlan made air quotes with her hands as she sighed.
“‘They,’” Jamie returned the quotes, “are three guys from the football team.”
“I hate doing stadiums. What happened to arenas and fairgrounds? I miss those, ya know? Hell, you never had a cow that demanded a meet and greet when I’m exhausted.”
“Please warn me the moment cows start speaking to you. We need to seriously look at cutting dates back at that point. That is more therapy than any of my degrees prepared me for.”
“I’m serious, Jamie. I’m tired.” Lochlan hung her shoulders.
“It’s just a few autographs…and maybe a picture or two.” Jamie sighed.
“You mean it’s just a few guys who want to smile at me, be polite, and think that I need a date to the next series of award shows. Well, you know what?”
“You don’t need it,” Jamie answered, rubbing her forehead in what Lochlan knew was frustration.
“You’re damn right I don’t need it. God! I just want to go home.”
“And you will, Loc. Just give me half an hour. I swear. It’s the last night before you have a couple of months off.”
Jamie seemed tired too. She probably didn’t want this any more than Lochlan did. Changing the subject, she asked, “Did you find me one?”
“A library?”
“Mm-hmm,” Lochlan said as she began to walk into the bathroom.
“Like I said, this is it. We’re done for the season and I didn’t think you needed one.” As Lochlan turned the shower on, she heard Jamie again. “You were just complaining about needing to go home and rest. By the way, are you staying in Knoxville or heading back home to Nashville? I need an answer, Loc. They’re getting low on seats.”
“I do need to rest,” Lochlan yelled from the other room. “But I have this song stuck in my head. I’d like to get it on paper, and I’m probably going to Knoxville. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mom and Dad.”
After a moment, Jamie said, “Okay, it looks like there’s a twenty-four-hour library about five miles from here. It’s sitting just off a college campus, and considering it’s Saturday night, I doubt anyone is there.”
Lochlan yelled over the shower again. “Great. Just me and the dateless bookworms who probably have no idea who Lochlan Paige is. Just the way that I like it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, even the dateless bookworms know who you are.”
Lochlan emerged from the shower and removed the shower cap on her head. She threw a snug-fitting long-sleeved black shirt over her head and began putting her jeans on. “So, we’ll meet with these guys and go, right?”
“Yes.” Jamie handed Lochlan her shoes. “I wish you had told me tha
t you wanted to write. I could have arranged to have a private area of the library like usual.”
“I didn’t know until just before showtime. It just hit me, and I want to get this written down.”
“All right, I’ll get Jacob to head over with you.”
“I don’t need my bodyguard.”
“It will be after midnight, you aren’t going alone, and as much as I love you, I have a plane back to Knoxville to catch.”
Lochlan smiled. “Wow, aren’t we in a hurry to get home?”
“I haven’t seen my husband in three weeks and have probably forgotten the color of my own toothbrush.” Jamie frowned. “That, however, isn’t an admission of guilt. It’s just a possibility.”
“It’s not the orange one. God knows that one belongs to Eli.”
“The man doesn’t know they make another color besides Tennessee orange, and that’s part of the reason I love him. And yes, I’m in a hurry to get home.”
“Okay. We’ll hurry and get you home to that sexy husband of yours.”
“Thank you. And you will take Jacob with you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
One hour later, she was walking into the library in a baseball cap pulled down low and her ponytail pulled out the back. There were only a handful of people in the building, and if anyone recognized Lochlan, they didn’t show it. Maybe they just respected the effort she had taken not to be recognized, or maybe it was the six-foot-five, two-hundred-fifty-pound man who walked close behind her. She wasn’t sure but was grateful either way.
She went up the staircase to the second level of the extraordinarily sized open room, while Jacob stayed on the bottom level to give her privacy. He made sure that he could clearly see her from where he sat. As she found a spot between two rows of books, Lochlan pulled out her tablet and opened the keyboard app, snugly tucked her earbuds in, and clicked her pen open. She knew Jamie didn’t understand, but this was home. To Lochlan, home was in the form of her pen, paper, and iPad app. People say that home is where you’re loved and safe. Writing sometimes seemed to be the only place that felt like home. She did prefer her baby grand piano, but this was the next best thing.
She started jotting lyrics on the paper and tapping the keyboard. It didn’t matter that it was small; it made music, and that was all Lochlan needed it to do. She was lost in the melody that was playing inside her head until there was a tap on her shoulder. She looked up fully expecting to see Jacob, but the woman who stood above her was not her oversized protector. It wasn’t just a woman, this one was gorgeous with dark hair and the most amazing brown eyes that Lochlan had ever seen.
Lochlan quickly removed the earbuds. “Hi.” She smiled.
“You do realize that you’re supposed to be quiet in here, right?”
“Um, yeah. I mean, I know the rules.” Lochlan stumbled over her reply. “Sorry, I didn’t realize I was being loud.”
“The humming is distracting.”
“Sorry, I didn’t realize that was happening.”
The woman seemed to soften as she dropped her crossed arms to her sides. “Just try and be a little quieter. I’ve read the same line three times listening to you.”
Lochlan smiled. “Well, at least tell me that it was good.”
“It wasn’t horrible.”
“Please tell me that your definition of not horrible means at least remotely decent.”
“I have a paper due on Monday, so I would say anything in this library that isn’t the anatomy of the human body is remotely decent.”
“I’ll take that. I’m really sorry, and I’ll try to be quiet.”
“Thanks, and I’ll let you get back to your…” she gestured to the pen and tablet in Loc’s hands, “music.”
“My bosses will thank you.”
“Bosses? You write music?” she asked as she raised one of her perfectly formed eyebrows.
Lochlan chuckled. It never entered her mind that someone would truly have no idea who she was. “Yeah, I do.”
“Oh wow. Do you mean for commercials and things?”
Lochlan laughed. “Ouch. No, I don’t do commercials. I mean, I have done commercials, but not the jingles for them, no.”
“Oh, well, okay. I have a paper that, against all my wishes, isn’t writing itself.”
Lochlan smiled. “Good luck with the paper, and again, sorry to bother you.”
“Well, good luck with the music.”
Lochlan watched her walk away. Damn, if that was what nerdy, dateless bookworms looked like, she’d take two. She shook her head and placed the earbuds back in her ears. This time she remained quiet for the next two hours.
When she was done, Lochlan stood and dusted off her jeans, placing all her items in her bag. As she was emerging from the aisle, she saw the table where the woman was seated, still concentrating on the books in front of her as she made notes on a small laptop. Lochlan couldn’t seem to help herself as she made her way toward the table.
As she approached, the woman looked up just in time to give Lochlan a deadly smile. “Music done?”
“It is. For now, anyway.”
The woman lowered her dark-rimmed glasses. Lochlan thought she had seen many attractive people, but there was something about this one that made everything she did seem…sexy. Who knew I had a thing for smart chicks?
“That’s good.”
“What?” Lochlan said, feeling a touch of panic. Had the bookworm just read her mind?
A chuckle softened the woman’s face. “That you’re done. That’s good, I assume?”
That look of intrigue was making her nervous. Were they flirting, or was this connection between them just her imagination? Lochlan wondered if she was showing her cards to someone she didn’t even know, but was spared making any decisions when a hand stretched out to her. “I’m Vanessa.”
“Hi.” Lochlan’s mind sifted through the million aliases she’d used as they shook. “I’m…” Damn it, speak!
Vanessa burst out with laughter. “I know who you are. I may be in a library on a Saturday night, but I don’t live under a rock.”
“You asked me if I did commercials.”
Vanessa laughed. “You are in jeans and a Tennessee Smokies cap.”
Sweet Lord, she’s a baseball fan. “You like baseball?” Lochlan asked.
“What? You look surprised. Yes, I like baseball. I thought you didn’t want me to know who you were. Plus, I get to tell my best friend, Mia, that I met her favorite singer and current celebrity girl crush. Getting to admit that I jerked her around a little will only make the story better. It’ll be a story we’re talking about for years to come.”
Lochlan feigned shock. “That is just hateful.”
“Hateful? This coming from someone who thought I was so—what, nerdy—that I didn’t know who”—she leaned forward—“Lochlan Paige was. Now that is hateful, Ms. Paige.”
Lochlan knew perfectly well Vanessa was playing her, yet she was falling right into her hands. She couldn’t seem to stop continuing to be roped in. “I mean—I just thought—” Why can’t I fucking speak? She took a deep breath. “I always feel like the real me in these places. I’m not Lochlan Paige here. It’s just me. Loc.”
“You should let people see you more.”
“Lots of people see me. Hell, an entire stadium just saw me.”
“Not this way. I like this you, and I barely know you.” Vanessa stood and loaded her books into her leather briefcase satchel. “You know what else I like?” Lochlan shook her head. “Coffee.”
“Me too.”
“There’s a café around the corner that’s usually empty this time of night. Maybe no one would recognize you there. Wanna grab a coffee?”
“Coffee at three in the morning? Now that’s hardcore.”
“I’m a med student. I haven’t seen my bed in four years.” Lochlan raised her eyebrow, which Vanessa chose to ignore. “So, coffee?”
“Um, yeah. Let me just tell Jacob.” Vanessa saw Jacob, who was watch
ing them intently.
“Oh. I didn’t realize you were with someone.”
“He’s the lucky bodyguard who my manager forced to come with me. Trust me, Jacob will stay out of the way. He just needs to know what I’m doing.”
“Okay. It’s just down the street on the right. I’ll meet you there?”
“Yeah.” Lochlan smiled at Vanessa. “I’ll see you there.”
Lochlan wondered what in the hell was she doing. This could be a total disaster. She didn’t know Vanessa. She could do anything. Sell a story to the tabloids or call her friends and tell them where she was. There were a million ways this could go sideways, but for reasons unknown to Lochlan, she trusted Vanessa.
Ignoring the fact that this could also be the first step in everything going horribly wrong, Lochlan let Jacob drive her to the café. When she stepped out of the car, her worst fear hit her in the face. The small café was packed. Had Vanessa led her into a trap?
Chapter Two
“Hey.” Vanessa stepped out of the building. “Shit, I’m sorry. I forgot that we had a huge concert in town tonight. People are everywhere.”
Vanessa seemed to be trying to shield her from anyone seeing her. “It’s okay. Hell, I should have known.” She smiled. “I was actually at said concert.”
“You were?” Vanessa said playfully.
“I was. Had great seats. Next time maybe I can get you tickets. I don’t want to brag, but I know people.”
“That would be nice.” Vanessa looked back toward the building. “I can order us a cup to go. There’s a park across the street that’s very well lit, and we can just—” Vanessa stopped. “God, that’s a stupid idea with someone as well-known as you.”
Lochlan took her by the arm. “Jacob, give me a second.” Lochlan led them back toward her car. “It’s a nice gesture, but maybe I should just go.”
“I understand.”
“I know we have Jacob here, but I’m not sure that us walking around in the middle of the night is a good idea.” Lochlan was saying all the things she needed to say. She didn’t want to leave. “I really would have liked to stay. I don’t feel comfortable around a lot of people, but you’ve done nothing but make me feel at ease, and that isn’t an easy task, even for people who know me well.”
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